Motorcycles have a long and storied history in movies, from the original “outlaw biker” film, 1953’s The Wild One with Marlon Brando, to 1969’s Easy Rider, to the latest Mad Max film, Furiosa, in which Chris Hemsworth uses three of them like they’re horses in front of a chariot. The latest motorcycle-centric film is a throwback of sorts, The Bikeriders.

Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, the film centers on a motorcycle group in the 1960s called the Vandals, led by Johnny (Tom Hardy). Inspired by The Wild One, Johnny starts the group as a way to socialize with other men who share his passion for motorcycles, attracting others like Benny (Austin Butler), Brucie (Damon Herriman), Cal (Boyd Holbrook), and Zipco (Michael Shannon). Though certainly intimidating, the gang mostly hangs out at their designated bar or rides around together, only getting into fights should someone challenge them.

While the film is about the motorcycle group, its lead character is arguably Kathy (Jodie Comer), who essentially narrates the story through a series of interviews she has with photographer/journalist Danny (Mike Faist), who follows the group over a number of years. Married to Benny, Kathy has a love/hate relationship with the group as a whole. She’s attracted to the non-conformist community it has built, but repelled by the danger it can sometimes bring.

Taking place over roughly a decade, the film initially has a verve to it thanks to various members of the Vandals, none of which are alike despite their shared fondness for motorcycles. Their distinct personalities make for some charged early scenes; even if you can’t relate to their exact mindsets, the way all of them play off each other immediately creates an unmistakable atmosphere, one that’s welcoming to the right types and forbidding to everyone else.

However, it soon becomes apparent that – much like the bikers who go out for rides only to come back to the same bar – the film never seems to go anywhere. Yes, there’s the occasional run-in with a rival gang or the law, but the vast majority of the film is either the Vandals just hanging out together acting tough, or Kathy talking about them hanging out and acting tough. The film’s biggest flaw is that it never explores who any of the men are away from the group. Sources of income are rarely mentioned, and the wives/girlfriends are either absent altogether or barely part of the film.

Even the most prominent relationship is a puzzle. The sequence showing Kathy and Benny getting together is probably the most interesting one in the film, contrasting Kathy’s demure appearance with Benny’s smoldering one. And yet, for some reason, their life as a couple is only haphazardly shown throughout the rest of story, mostly through Kathy talking about it in her interviews. This method of tell-but-don’t-show doesn’t make much sense given Kathy’s prominence in the film as a whole.

If you liked Butler as Elvis, you’ll love him here, as he positively oozes sex and danger. There isn’t a lot of range to the role, though, so it’s still up in the air as to whether his looks overshadow his acting skills. The accent choices by Hardy and Comer will likely be a point of contention for many viewers. Hardy, who rarely plays a role straight, seems to be channeling Brando himself, mumbling through many of his lines. Meanwhile, Comer’s Fargo-esque voice makes her seem like she’s in an SNL skit for much of the film.

The Bikeriders, which was delayed for six months due to Hollywood strikes, was thought to be an Oscar contender by many. But the film doesn’t have enough depth to be considered that type of film, and the one-note nature of the story masks any kind of overall point Nichols might have been trying to make.

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The Bikeriders is now open in theaters.